Daitapati leader begs apology from people of Odisha

After Daitapatis were targeted for the mess during the Brahma parivartan ritual of the presiding deities of the Shree Jagannath Temple at Odisha’s holy town Puri , the Daitapati Nijog secretary Premananda Das Mohapatra on Tuesday begged apology for the fiasco from the people of Odisha.

“It was a big blunder. I beg apology from the people of Odisha. Let them pardon us,’ said the senior Daitapati with folded hands apologising for having hurt the feelings of millions of devotees.

While holding themselves responsible for the inordinate delay and mismanagement during the Brahma parivatan ritual of the Lords, Das Mohapatra, however, assured that all remaining rituals of the Lords from Rath Yatra to Niladri Bije will be conducted in all sincerity and in right earnest.

“We Daitapatis have resolved to perform Rath Yatra, Bahuda Yatra, Suna Besha, Adhar Pana and Niladri Vijay of the Lords in a disciplined manner. We will try to assuage your feelings (devotees) in the coming days,” said the Daitapati Nijog secretary after appearing before the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to record his statement over the alleged mismanagement of the Brahma parivartan ritual.

Apart from the Daitapati Nijog secretary Premananda Das Mohapatra and president Ramakrushna Das Mohapatra, Narasingha Pati Mohapatra and Binayak Das Mohapatra, Vidyapati and Biswabasu of the Banajaga Yatra team respectively, also appeared before the SJTA chief administrator to record their statements.

On the other hand, Lord Sudarshan’s Badagrahi (body protector) Nabakishore Pati Mohapatra has been served with a show-cause notice for not performing the Brahma parivartan of Lord Sudarshan himself. His elder brother Debaraj Pati Mohapatra, who had performed the Brahma parivartan of Lord Sudarshan on his behalf, too recorded his statement before the chief administrator.

“Naba Kishore Pati Mohapatra was to do the Brahma parivartan. But after their entry and sealing of the temple at he allowed at the last moment his brother Debaraj Pati Mohapatra to do the job instead of doing it himself. It is Debaraj Pati Mohapatra, who has done the Brahma parivartan. We will seek an explanation from him. The ten maharana (carpenter) servitors will be asked to record their statements on June 25,” said Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, chief administrator SJTA briefing the media.

Meanwhile, Daitapati Nijog president Ramakrushna Das Mohapatra stated on Tuesday that the donations collected from devotees for the Trayodasha feast will be returned to the donors and the expense for the rituals up to the Trayodasha of the Lords will be borne by the Daitapati brethren. He said it has been decided not to distribute prasad to the public on the Trayodasha.